The ExaGrid EX Series was originally designed as a scale-out NAS system but has since been optimized to be a backup-to-disk target. Since the system presents a standard NFS or CIFS/SMB interface, it can also support other file-based applications, especially secondary storage workloads.
Each EX Series appliance has a fixed amount of processing power and storage capacity, simplifying configuration decisions. At the same time, appliances may be mixed and matched into a single system, providing configuration flexibility (e.g., to support data growth). Any generation of any model can be intermixed in a single grid, up to the current limit of 32 nodes. By adding appliances to the grid, performance and capacity scale together. The ExaGrid system will automatically balance the data among the nodes when new ones are added to the grid. There are seven different models – the EX6, EX10, EX18, EX27, EX36, EX52 and the EX84. There are also six models available with encryption (denotated as “-SEC”).
The most recent backup copy is kept in a complete, un-deduplicated form in order to speed recovery of virtual machines (VMs), full systems, or files. ExaGrid refers to this capability as the “Landing Zone.” Local restores, instant VM recoveries, audit copies and even tape copies do not require rehydration. Deduplication and replication are performed in parallel with backup jobs from the Landing Zone to the backend storage of the system. Only deduplicated data is replicated. ExaGrid’s positioning is that this provides the fastest backup with the shortest window when compared to inline deduplication systems.
ExaGrid EX Series Product Brief Includes:
- Overview
- Highlights
- Usage and Deployment
- EvaluScale Table
- Evaluator Group’s Opinion
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